Pacific Storm

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Fans of naval wargames have a good reason to be happy.

By Steve Butts

Anyone who has walked into a software store in the last five years realizes just how strong a hold the World War 2 setting has on our hobby. Whether we're playing a nervous but determined paratrooper dropping behind the lines in the hours before D-Day, an unshaven Wolfpack commander stalking convoys across the Atlantic, or a fresh-faced farm boy shooting down Messerschmitts over the skies of Stalingrad, the setting offers a wide variety of exciting locations and actions.

Still, there seems to be a bit too much focus placed on the European theaters of the war. Sure, we get the odd North African, Eastern or Pacific games, but these are the exception rather than the rule. That's why we were so excited to see CDV and Lesta Studio's Pacific Storm at this year's E3. Not only is it one of a handful of promising naval wargames (along with Storm Eagle's Distant Guns), but it's also set in one of the richest naval wars of all time, the conflict between Japan and America during World War 2. Combining a strategic level simulation with intense real time battles, Pacific Storm lets players direct Japanese and American fleets and air groups at every level of the action. We've been playing through a surprisingly complete build of the game ever since we got back from E3 and are already very impressed with what the team at Lesta has accomplished.

You'll need to determine the economic and technological aims of your side, issue production orders, put units into the fight, build up and defend bases, assault islands and pretty much anything else that the War in the Pacific entailed. In addition, whenever a battle occurs, players can lead their forces in real time, even taking direct control of the ships and planes in the fight.

There is a wide range of playing options here, but you'd be advised to start with the lengthy tutorial. Divided into six different chapters, it covers pretty much everything you need to know about the interface and the underlying mechanics, from setting engagement distances with your destroyers to upgrading your airfields to accommodate heavy bombers to selecting commanders for your fleet. Rather than simply telling you everything you need to know, the tutorial lets you get your hands on the actual controls to try things out for yourself.

Once you've managed to get a grip on the way the game is played, you'll be ready to move on to the actual meat of the game, either in the two massive strategic campaigns or in the selection of historical and speculative tactical battles. There's even a battle planner you can use to create whatever engagement you want, from Rabaul to Okinawa.

The tactical missions recreate famous battles from the War, from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the dropping of the A-bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The build we have doesn't have a lot of these missions in it, but we were pleased to see some noteworthy ones, from small actions like shooting down Yamamoto's plane to the massive battle in Leyte Gulf. The selection of non-historical missions might not have ever happened, but they have some basis in reality. And of course, the battle planner lets you set up whatever forces you like at a time and location of your choosing.

The Historical Campaign begins in the months leading up the conflict. The basic setup reflects the historical advantages and limitations each side possessed. The Americans have a strong economy, but their units are terribly inexperienced compared to those of the Japanese. One of the main challenges in this campaign is for the Japanese to grab as much territory as possible before the Americans can get some momentum going. The Americans in this campaign also have full control of the bases of their allies in the southwest.